Adventures of an overcommitted Stay at Home MOM to 4 year old identical twin girls who rarely finds time to actually post.

Adulthood is strange

August 19, 2007

Today was our annual block party. When we bought the house I thought it was so sweet that the neighborhood held a block party. I pictured my kids running around with the other kids while the adults ate BBQ and complimented each others’ lawns. We had owned this house for two weeks when the last one happened (and hadn’t even moved in yet) so this year was our first block party. There’s a three year old on the street whom my daughters like to “play” with and her parents were the ones organizing it this year.

What does a block party have to do with adulthood?

Well, I learned that I live in a rather unique neighborhood. My 70 year old uncle dubbed it full of “newly weds and nearly deads.” And it is. We have a lot of young families mixed with retirement age couples. Most of the kids on the block are under 5. The block party brought out whole new side to my neighbors. Here’s how to sum it up: At 4pm the girls woke up from their nap so we headed down the street to the party. There were 8 adults (including several parents of toddlers) playing beer pong. Beer Pong. In the middle of the street. In the middle of the day! Right next to the moon bounce and just past the food they had a beer pong table set up. Beer pong.

It’s 10pm (the party started at noon) and they are still out there.

I’m not judging. Beer pong, drinking games, and loud music are all well and good. I went to college. I drank my share. But I grew up. I have two kids. I certainly wouldn’t be playing flip cup with my 4 year old watching.

Wow, that’s quite a party. To be honest I’ve never been to a party where alcohol was the main course. Maybe I’ve always been too grown up (or sheltered). Anyway, yeah, seems funny to have that mingled with the kdis things too. At least wait until the evening for the drinking when the kids are in bed or something.

Uy! Situations like these are always so awkward! On the one hand you want to be amiable and social with these other ‘adults’, and yet caving in to their version of fun just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. Hubby and I are always the odd ones out because we’re just so hesitant to do anything like that in front of the kids. I mean, isn’t that what date nites are for, if not “double-date nites”?

Okay, so far out of the realm of my experience I don’t know what to say. I know there are immature “adults” and people who think that partying is something you just keep doing all your life, but honestly, what will these people think when their kids start drinking at 13-14 years old? Will they even recognize that they had something to do with it?

Like Romance Chick, I’m kinda stunned! I mean, I’ve never actually BEEN to a blockparty, but I figured,…I dont know what! I know people drink- duh- and I know that drinking starts early at things, but why arent people more concerned about, say, alcohol poisoning!?

Just found out you had a blog and had to read all about it. If you didn’t read my story on Flylady, then all I can say is we experienced almost the same thing. The ones on our street who didn’t go to college and didn’t get it all out of their system are still doing it. The rest of us can only handle a drink or two. I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels differently.